Absolutely don’t think Britain is a racist country: Rishi Sunak

[ad_1]

Britain’s first Indian-born Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has defended the UK’s race record amid a row over controversial remarks by a columnist attacking Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, who is of African American descent.

Sunak was responding to questions posed by reporters during a visit to the Latvian capital of Riga on Monday when he spoke out against racism and stressed that his own heritage carries some weight on the subject.

“I absolutely do not believe that Britain is a racist country. And I hope that as the first British Asian Prime Minister of our country, when I say it carries weight,” he said to journalists.

Also Read | UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses troops to fight Christmas strikes

“You know, I’m really proud of our country, of its culture, of its resilience, of its beauty. And indeed it’s a huge privilege to stand up for Britain and, indeed, its institutions like the monarchy when I’m on the move in the world scene like I’m here today,” said the UK-born politician, who has his family roots in Punjab.

Sunak was reacting to an ongoing row over former TV presenter and columnist Jeremy Clarkson writing in The Sunabout hating Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, ‘on a cellular level’, following the controversial Harry and Meghan documentary recently aired on Netflix .

Read also | UK judges rule Rwanda deportation plan legal

Clarkson’s column received more than 6,000 complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO), resulting in an apology from the writer and the newspaper removing the column from its website.

“For everyone in public life, language matters,” Sunak said when asked about the fury.

Meanwhile, more than 60 UK MPs from all parties have written to Sun editor Victoria Newton demanding action against Clarkson.

In a letter, they said Meghan Markle had received credible death threats and that columns such as Clarksons were contributing to an unacceptable climate of hatred and violence.

The letter, co-ordinated by Caroline Nokes, Conservative Party chair of the House of Commons Select Committee on Women and Equalities, was signed by other Tory MPs as well as MPs from the opposition Labor, Lib Dem , Green and SNP.

“We can no longer let this type of behavior go unchecked. We welcome the Suns’ retraction of the article and now demand that action be taken against Mr. Clarkson and an unqualified apology to Ms. Markle immediately,” they wrote. .

[ad_2]